canon rumors FORUM

D_Rochat

Unfortunately, not everyone is born with the gift of common sense. I watched a well educated man load his rifle and proceed to look down the barrel. Why he felt compelled to do something like that, I'll never know. Point is, he had to be told not to do that anymore because it wasn't obvious enough.

You are too critical. I have written instructions for computer software and handled the tech support calls (my own product). You'd be surprised. What is obvious to you is not obvious to others, particularly if they did not design the product.

I'm in the software world myself, and it's so true. Users can be some of the most obtuse people on the planet. Especially when they lie to you and tell you they did what you just told them...but didn't actually do it. Fortunately I don't have to deal with users directly much anymore, except for running my family's tech support line. But at least they don't lie to me about what they did or did not do.

They probably have to have a lot of that stuff for legal reasons too. Was there not a story in America where a manufacturer got sued when the owner got up out of the drivers seat to make a coffee or something and it crashed, wasn't in the owners manual that you couldn't do this!

who cares?some have more then enough money to buy a 5D MK3 but never touched a DSLR camera.

well i guess you just love to complain.

no manual = bad... manual = bad.... S___ i guess the world is a ugly place for some people.

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Health & safety are incredibly important issues for photographers, cabling & electrics in studios are risks to be aware of, and outdoors there are far too many Utube clips of photographers walking backwards to compose shots, and falling down flights of stairs, or into water features, all things we should all be aware of, but the level of these instructions are frankly insulting.

not canons fault.fat and dumb americans will sue you for everything.

there is no idea stupid enough (or embarrassing) for a lawsuite in america.

I'm always intrigued by arguments like this (if you can call it one). Who cares? Apparently you do.. and your comment is equally as negative and preachy as f*** lol. At least the OP was fueling a conversation--or entertainment at the least.

Good job on citing those sources to support your bitterness toward americans. Speak of complaining just to complain..

Sorry for the rant, but this is supposed to be a 'high performance' professional digital camera, it just insults the intelligence of users to tell us these things, and wastes our time having to plough through them.

Well, a lot of that 'warning' stuff, is caused by our overly litigous society....much akin to the feeling I get when I see warning tags on blowdriers to not use them in the bathtub, or the sign on the Coke machine that says "Warning do not tip over, machine can fall on your and kill you"...with a little illustrated Darwin Award scene if a soon to be squashed stick figure...

However, on some of the things...well, there's reason for it to be there.

Myself, the 5D3 was my first DSLR camera ever. Till I held it in my hands, I'd never picked one up, never changed a lens.

Many decades ago, I had an old Nikon 35mm camera, but hadn't touched that in decades.

So, while the order was coming, I read through the manual online..and again when I opened the box and put it together.

Yes, some of it is a bit childish even for a 100% noob, you'd think common sense would prevail, but if you've ever worked in a job facing the General Public, then you'll know that the majority of them out there are blithering idiots.

I know that sounds elitist...but I worked in my youth as a busboy, a waiter, a bartender, I sold retail (clothes, shoes, etc), and most anyone that has spent time in a public facing job will usually tell you the same I have.

So, yes...ALL instructions are going to be dumbed down. And yet....tech support will still get calls.Heck, I think the reason computer manufacturers are trying to get rid of optical drives, is to just finally get people to quit calling in asking about the built in coffee holders...

Please forgive this rant but there are times when I find instruction manuals so annoying!

You know what? I could have included all of your comments in this quote because they reflect my thoughts as I read the 5D3 manual. I took two days to read the manual (time constraints...). I head the documentation department for the company I work in. The exact words I told my boss and the documentation team were: "The Canon 5D III manual looks like we wrote it"!!!!

It is amazing how one can be lost in the "I need to explain what happens when I use this option" rather than why and where the F^@* would I use this function...

It is amazing how one can be lost in the "I need to explain what happens when I use this option" rather than why and where the F^@* would I use this function...

Should documentation for a cell phone tell you who to call, and when? Is it Canon's job to teach us how to use the camera itself, or to teach us how to take good pictures? The why and where seem much more aligned with the latter, and I'd argue that's out of scope for a manual.